Notes / Commercial Description:
Abner (1867-1953) is our great grandfather; Hill Farmstead Brewery rests upon the land that was once home to him and his fourteen children. In his honor, this Double IPA is dutifully crafted from American malted barley, a plethora of American hops, our ale yeast and water from Abner’s well. It is unfiltered, naturally carbonated, and double dry hopped. Aromatic and flowery, bursting with notes of citrus and pine, this is the ale that I dream to have shared with Abner.

Wonderful pale gold color with white head. Aroma is of freshly cut hay, honey, and a slight piney-ness to it as well. Taste is much more piney than the aroma. I also get some of the honey flavor; presumably from a light malt. The color also hints that they used lighter malts. Mouthfeel was a tad thin, but I did enjoy the hop 'sting' on the tongue. Overall a great DIPA; I haven't been disappointed by Hill Farmstead yet, and doubt I will be any time soon.

A - yellow orange and clear.
S - great aroma from the strong hop profile. The citrus and pine notes really set the scene.
T - whoa. WAY too much alcohol flavor. Shockingly so for how highly rated this beer is. Plinys ability to hide alcohol must be unique. For me this knocks this beer down. The rest of the taste is in line with a great American IPA or apa. The strong alcohol presence will prevent me from buying the beer again.
M - very nice carbonation and very consistent.
O - I was delighted to get this beer on draught at the brewery (after a 4 hour wait!!!) but thought that this beer did NOT live up to the experience or the hype. Hill farmstead makes good beers but in my opinion and experience totally not worth it. Sorry HF fans.

Appears clear sunny amber with two fingers of fluffy white head with great head retention and good lacing, she is a beauty. Smells of light orange peel, grapefruit rind, apricot, wheat. Taste rich citrus notes,dry but some sweet malt to counter bitterness, very well balance, hard to detect the alcohol which is surprising at 8.2%. Light-moderate body, moderate carbonation, creamy mouthfeel.

A brilliant IPA from HF, my favorite from them so far. One of the better IPAs I have sampled.

Alright, so this beer pours a clear copper body. Perhaps straw-orange. With that trademark Hill Farmstead 2cm white head that has awesome retention. Not a whole lot of lacing on this actually, but who cares?

Nose is not as pungent as Susan which we drank earlier today, but it just smells better.. its got that orange zest combined with citrus and tropical fruit.. but the biggest contribution is that floral scent. Deliciously floral. Great nose still, but Susan and Ephraim has it beat.

But you know what, that flavour profile is so incredible. So complex with tons of citrus and tropical fruit. It has that great malty backbone that isn't too strong but just balances out all the hoppiness in this beer. Its such a perfect balance for a DIPA.

Mouthfeel, again is that incredible creamy Hill Farmstead full body. I have never had such a full bodied double IPA. Again there is just something in that damn well water, I want to go visit Hill Farmstead, use the bathroom and fill up a water bottle and send it into a lab for analysis so I can treat my homebrew like so. Aftertaste is that bitter citrus flavour, but not so strong. It is so incredibly drinkable, even more so than Susan was. Can't tell that this beer is 8.2%, not at all. It drinks like a session beer.

Overall this beer is one of the best double IPAs I've ever had. It beats out Pliny and Heady, but its kind of unfair since this is Hill Farmstead we're talking about. It's up there with Double Sunshine as one of the best to come out of Vermont.

A - Yellow-orange, no head. I could care less about appearance, so unless it's really beautiful or really ugly, it will get the average of the other ratings. Who drinks a beer for appearance anyway?

S - Fruity, piney, maybe a little spicy, but definitely different from a typical IPA. Not sure exactly if it is a particular hop that gives it that smell, it could be the yeast or even the malt because I would almost describe it as a very clean malty smell.

a: poured from a 750 mL growler purchased at brewery, 2 days later, into branded wine style glasses, the beer is thoroughly hazed thanks to its unfiltered nature, a deep honey amber in color, producing a full head that retains well

s: a beautiful array of hops here, with fresh blood orange zest leading the way, opening further into fruity notes of kiwi, pineapple, peach, and coconut - really awesome and I can say that I haven’t come across a better hop nose, somewhat floral, just generally fresh with something new around each corner, wholesome unfiltered yeast nuances, the malts compliment perfectly, pleasantly grainy with a balancing dose of caramel, lovely stuff
m: medium bodied, silky on the tongue, with a lower level of carbonation, extremely smooth

t: again with the arrestingly delicious hop character - oily orange rind blends with sweeter, juicy notes of kiwi, peach, and pineapple; tasty, perfectly balanced grains with a firm but clean caramel note, the lack of filtering lends a fullness to the flavor, and the bitterness begins midway, creeping to a big but not overwhelming strength in the finish, love it

o: without question one of the best dipas out there, and seems totally unique at the same time in the way it is weaved together, expertly crafted for sure, and a testament to fine ingredients

How does a growler-only beer with a super narrow range of distribution have over 800 reviews in just over three years? What's happened?

Anyhow, Vermont has destroyed my pallet. We secured Double Sunshine and Heady before making our way over the ol' Farm(stead), and when we got there all they had on tap were hops, hops, and hops. It was like a goddamn rabbit convention. But even then, after already sinking several feet deep into Heady Sunshine, and even after sample the three other selections (Citra, Amarillo, and S&S4), even then, this one tasted special.

At first, honestly, I thought it was the citra and the girl had just made a mistake while pouring, since the beer begins with a pronounced mango burst. But then a couple sips in, centennial and columbus hops become super pronounced, with big nodes of pine and herbs and a slight grape-iness. A bready finish of fresh yeast and caramel malts provide balance in the back end and do a phenomenal job of disguising its high ABV.

Most people, myself included, will probably prefer Heady, but this is definitely the more sessionable of the two.

Growler purchased by TauroE and brought to CT. One of the best beers, it ranks a perfect score easily

Appearance is golden with small head
Smells of predominantly pine, citrus and then a hint of pinecone
Tastes less bitter than heady with all the taste/mouthfeel
Limited biscuit
Outstanding on all metrics and a easy must buy and seek out whenever possible

A: slightly hazed orange. deep at the center. head is on the boarder of being bright white. good retention, even better lacing.

S: a mild black pepper. sticky nose. a lot of hop oil and resins. smells like American hop pellets, in a good way. pineapple. maybe some kiwi. pleasant and inviting.

T: there is a definite cereal flavor right in the middle of the this drink. mmmm, cereal. starts more citrus than anything. hoppy, resiny, but not overly sticky or in-your-face. really appreciate the balance.

M: carb is frizzy, almost mellow. full bodied.

D: dangerously drinkable. great hop nose, great hop flavor, even better balance. glad the malt has a say in this fight. worth seeking.

Hazy golden orange colour, one finger of dense white head with a solid ring of lace. Smell is quite dank with tropical fruits, some fuzzy peach and a bit of lingering malt. Taste is hoppy with lots of grapefruit and dank pine resin flavours, more citrusy as it goes dry with a moderate malt flavour as well in the finish. Medium carbnation, dry and fairly full bodied. Excellent stuff here, so incredibly easy to drink with no alcohol to taste, would drink this as often as I could.

Cheers to iLOVEbeer for the extra!
#1
- Tasted and noted on 12-Jul-13.

Poured from a howler that was filled 14 days ago and it traveled cross country in summer days. Not the ideal condition probably, but seeing as how I'm in SoCal, I'm not complaining.

Aromas are kind of faint but get the typical pine and tropical and citrus fruits. Smells as if it's going to be dry. Bit of zest and earthy-ness. In the taste, it starts off with pine and earthy-ness. Then a sweet, caramely, nectary juice. Dank pine hops all throughout. Definitely in a good way. It's got a low malt body and got a crisp dryness in the finish. Almost got a saison-quality to it.

170 theoretical IBU?? Tastes like half that. 8.2 abv? Could pass as a single IPA. Fantastic DIPA. Very dangerously drinkable. I can only assume fresh from tap would make this unworldly.

Tasted against Double Citra, Legitmacy, and Nelson Single Hop. Of the four, I ranked this one 1st. In fact, this is one of the best IPA's I've ever had. I will now often wonder when I'll get to have this off tap again...

A- Pours a somewhat hazy golden/straw color with a thick white head with decent retention and good lacing. Some floaties can be seen upon close inspection.

S- The aroma is piney, with a lot of butterscotch, and a big punch of citrus, tangerine and grapefruit in particular. An aroma to die for!

T- The flavor is somewhat hard to define, though it is markedly delicious! It takes some work, but I'm able to distinguish caramel, butterscotch, fresh grassy hops, dank hops, citrus with more grapefruit than tangerine (opposite of the aroma), finishing with a dry piney hop bite that is moderately bitter.

M- The mouthfeel is buttery and smooth, with mild, yet distinct carbonation. Dangerously drinkable at 8.2%!

O- This is yet another fantastic beer from Hill Farmstead! It took me 3 trips up (the first 2 it came off the tap list the day before and the day of arrival!), but it was well worth the wait!

A: Pours a golden yellow with a small white head on top. This is exactly how this is supposed to look. There's some lacing that's left along the glass as I drink this bad boy.

S: Holy hops! Citrus and pine hops erupt from this brew into my nose. The intensity is absolutely mindblowing. What a fantastic smelling beer. If you are looking for malts then this is definitely not the beer for you.

T: The taste follows the nose to a T. Big, juicy citrus and pine notes dominate my pallet with ease. The citrus notes follow to the tune of grapefruits and this makes for a pleasant drinking experience. There are a miniscule amount of bready malts, but the beer is all about hops and not much else. I'm not sure if I've ever had a better DIPA in my life, and I'm not sure if I will have a better tasting one.

M: A medium mouthfeel that dries pretty quickly. A modicum amount of bitterness, which allows for an extremely pleasant drinking experience. I don't feel like my taste buds are being assaulted, but rather being catered to in a nice, juicy, hoppy, flavorful manner.

Overall: This may set the standard for DIPAs. What a fantastic beer. I really didn't know what to expect upon cracking this growler open. Boy, am I glad I did. This may be one of my favorite beers of all time. Hill Farmstead did an amazing job crafting this one. Especially since I know it came together in a tiny ass garage. Shaun and crew, I tip my hat to you guys for an exceptional beer and experience.

750 ml swing top growler to port glass (same type Hill Farmstead tastings are poured into).
Cloudy golden yellow with a frothy 2 finger bone colored head that holds nicely, and it is an unfiltered Imperial IPA, just gorgeous with superb lacing.

Aroma is that of an intense hop-bomb, like strolling through a grapefruit grove surrounded by pine trees, with a hint of juicy pineapple. Malt? What malt?! Hop forward as they come: delightful.

Taste is intensely packed with hops, grapefruit is predominant. The bitterness factor is formidable, and not for the meek: definitely builds as the growler is extinguished, yet it never reaches the level of overkill for my tastes.

Mouthfeel is medium, incredible dry finish, bitterness lingers at the back of the palate & even the throat. There is a relatively high level of acidity going on with Abner and overall is a real palate spanker.

Fans of all out grapefruit bombs will marvel at this bold IIPA as it delivers the goods in every way. Those not on board with the high level of bitterness would probably prefer Hill Farmstead Ephraim, but either way, HFS caters to hop lovers that appreciate superior craftsmanship only found in small handcrafted batches.

Poured into a tulip glass from the tap at The Farmhouse Tap and Grill.

Pours a nice pale copper with some slight haze and some orange hues. There is a nice half-inch medium dense head that forms that is white/off-white. The head is sticky as the brew goes down and the head recedes leaving some slight lacing on the sides. (4.75)

Aroma starts of with resinous and piney hop notes that are dank and fresh. Somewhat herbal. There is then an amazing plethora of tropical fruit; orange and tangerines mixed with some slight pineapple and mango and of course the ever-present grapefruit offering a delicious and inviting refreshing citrus note to the brew. Some slight bready malts are perceived under this dance of amazing hops. The tropical fruit notes really shine in the nose as the brew warms. (5.0)

Wow. The taste is ENCHANTING. There are notes of resinous pines with some herbal and quite grassy characteristics starts things of. Then the awesome tropical fruit notes reach in and fill the palette. Once again the grapefruit dominates for me with some slight lemon citrusness. Then some mild pineapple, notes of mango and tangerines and even some peach. Amazing. These are all well orchestrated and so layered amongst each other and give the brew a very elongated flavor profile. The nice pale malt gives the brew some balance with good earthy, bready grain and some slight caramel notes as well as the slight boozy sweetness from the higher ABV. Mouthfeel is near perfection with a smooth and silky body that is carbonated perfectly to allow for some palette cleansing. (5.0)(4.75)

Overall the tropical fruit notes mixed in with the citrus hop notes are the key to this brew. Very well orchestrated and a plethora of flavors that are rich on their own but are also very well layered and balanced with each other. (4.75)

This brew was poured from a refillable 750mL Hill Farmstead bottle, filled at the brewery growler-style, into our Founders snifters. It glows a coppery golden orange, putting up a two finger head of creamy off white bubbles. This shows nice retention, leaving thick honeycombed lacing around our glasses. A definite haze cuts clarity, but no sediment is noted. Carbonation appears to be moderate. The nose is richly citric and resiny of hops, with pale and lightly metallic toast of grain, fresh apricot, pineapple, and nectarine fruitiness, and a floral honeysuckle air blowing across the top of it. With warmth the aromatics really start to flourish, giving enhanced hoppy bite and sweetness of grapefruity, floral, and softly earthy varietals, mineral-laden well water, mud, black pepper booziness, muscat grapes, graham cracker breadiness, fresh mint leaf, blackboard chalk, and fresh peppery vegetals. Our first impression is that the flavoring gives extraordinarily juicy and fruity hops, but with nice balancing bite from the harder water and zing of grain. As we sip, the taste begins with a strong interplay between starkly, but authentically, sweet nectarine, tangerine, and pineapple syrups, and the dominant power of grapefruit rind, hop, and stem. These are met and balanced by a menagerie of raw honey, white grape sweetness, sulfuric mineral, lemon rind, herbal and earthy leafiness, cooling vanillas, lactic creaminess, metallic yeast juiciness, and solidly pale grain. The middle comes to a peak with lemon and grapefruity hops, herbal and spicy malt undertones, ethanol, gravel, mineral water hardness, mango fruitiness, and floral clover sugars. The finish is awash with pale graininess, effectively cutting the hoppy onslaught, along with newspaper inkiness, bright yeastiness, chalk and graphite, shitake meatiness, mango, strawberry, and pineapple fruitiness, and sweet booziness, with more of an herbal hoppiness shining through the ashes of the former grapefruit gods. The aftertaste breathes bitterly of grapefruity rind, seed, and juice, sweetly of nectarine and white sugars, pale grain, ghostly wheat, gravel, distant bubblegum esters, planty sap and resins, bittering moss and musk, light amber maltiness, and sea saltiness. The body is medium to full, and carbonation is medium to high. Each sip gives beautifully soft and creamy slurp, smack, froth, and glug. Finishing pop is nice and long. The mouth is left cooled and wetly coated, with eventually mild tannic astringency across the palate, and moderately robust pucker. The abv is appropriate, and the beer drinks incredibly well.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this beer was its flavoring. While the nose gives a strong, balanced, juicy rendition of the liquid to come, the ultimate taste is astonishing from that first sip. The hops remain dripping wet, sweet, and juicy, but take on a curiously strong bitterness of grapefruity rind and citrics. The yeast works its way in giving bitterness, along with that harder well water that is so apparent, but seamlessly inclusive. The feel on the sip gives just about all you could ask for, with frothy brushes of creaminess and enough pucker to wake you up. This is a must have from Hill Farmstead, and well deserved of the reputation it has thus far attained.

Taste upfront is moderately bitter with flavors of pine, grapefruit, lemon, and orange peel mixed with a slight citrusy sweetness. Less bitter finish with piney notes. Very little malt presence. Lingering pine and lemon peel bitterness. As the beer warms it gets a bit more bitter and some of the citrusy sweetness drops out.

Medium body with moderate to low carbonation. Clean finish.

Really good. Hop-forward, but not overly abrasiveness even with such a light malt presence in the taste. Nice mix of citrus and pine.

A: Pours orange-tinted pale colored with two fingers of dense, fluffy off white head which slowly deflates. Very good retention, leaving a thick ring and some surface head for much of the duration, and generous swaths of lacing.

S: Pretty long-reaching aroma, I can initially smell it from a foot away. Candied tangerine, hint of a tropical note, peach, pink grapefruit, an undertone of breadiness/cracker.

O: Very good, well constructed beer. Quite drinkable. That being said, it wasn't quite blow-my-mind good, and it seems that there are much easier to get options out here in SoCal (e.g., most IPAs from Alpine would be better than this). But I was very glad for the opportunity to try this.

There's only so many words that can capture beers as good as this, let alone with the likes of What Is Enlightenment, Legitimacy and Heady Topper. Blasts of unfathomable citrus, the taste goes on and on and on. These here Hill offerings are the best of the best, hands down - the end of the line.

Pours a hazy peach honey with some soapy top suds. Smells of peaches, mangoes, some resin and some biscuit malts. Not that impressed on the nose. Flavor is malt, more peach, some pear, grapefruit, lemon, resin and more crackery malts. A little sweet, but some bitterness in there too. Medium bodied with moderate carb and an off dry finish. Although decent, not overly impressed with this one either. Of the imperial IPAs I've had from Shaun, I've yet to really feel like he has done much for me, a little too sweet in 2 out of three (best so far was S&S4). The pale ales have been tits though.

A: Beautiful golden color with a thin ring of head. Some legs on the glass. Nice.

N: Surprisingly light nose. Tends toward the earthy with a hint of grapefruit. Plenty of crystallized sugar. Mandarin oranges in syrup. Pineapple starts to show through as this warms. Some onion and garlic.

T: Quite bitter with just enough malt to balance. Hops are well showcased and earthy. Light touch here leads to a cavalcade of flavors. Some minerality, artesian water in here.

M: Very dry to the point it almost feels like the body disappears.

O: As good as advertised. Definitely a beer that showcases the best of the style. More kudos for Shaun Hill, I suppose.

T. Wow. First softly floral then immediately eviscerated by a strong pungent piney resin that has serious follow through. Just enough lightly sweet malt to keep the hop punch in check. The sweetness is slightly tropical in quality, especially as the drink warms; apricot, pineapple, peach. The sweetness is very secondary in nature, the shoulders and neck to support the mind full of hops.

M. Just a tad into medium, fairly light bodied. Coats the tongue and imparts its bitterness leaving your taste buds daydreaming. Crisp enough, where the bitterness and the bubbly are harmonious, and not struggling or raging.

O. One of the finest DIPAs I have ever had. Complex, unabashed, and simply delicious.

Cloudy pale orage color with decent white head that laces a bit. Aroma on this thing is killer! Smelled it once and started giggling it made me so happy, orange and ruby red grapefruit juice with hints of pine. Flavorwise, it's everything the nose leads with plus an added strong earthy hop punch. The earthiness starts to come out in the nose at it warms as well. It can be described as a bit garlicy. I get a bit of that sauteed onion and garlic with fresh herbs type of impression right after the initial citrus juice impression, but it fades on the finish. Super smooth bitterness here, very drinkable 8% IPA!